…in Government
The Government’s started running ads in all the dailies inviting John and Jane Q Public to a “Public Consultation” on a Whistleblowers’ Bill, come this Oct 10. The fact that Parliament’s due to begin its “fall session” (well, the Govt announced its “summer holiday” after their earlier 45- day hiatus, didn’t they?) isn’t the only reason your humble (but sceptical) Eyewitness thinks this is just a red herring.
C’mon now! Do you, Dear Readers, think this Administration really wants to have the tens of thousands of Government employees to have immunity if they fink on the officials who’re daily bilking the treasury of billions and billions? And that’s the bottom line, isn’t it? “Whistleblowing” is simply exposing behaviour or acts that one believes are ETHICALLY or MORALLY wrong – but which may be protected by the rules of the organisation. So, if you out and tell your superior about pilfering by a colleague, he may just fire your tail!
In fact, in the news today is the story of Wells Fargo Bank, which actually encourages whistleblowing on enumerated, sharp mortgages practices. But when some employees picked them up on their offer and finked, they were summarily thrown out on their ears! The point of the story is managers may feel they’re guided by some “higher” morality (read they’re in on the hustle!) on behalf of their organisation. Look how the US Government, for all its vaunted “openness”, treated Snowden and Assange.
Of course, they’ve cited “national security” concerns – but that’s a slippery slope, ain’t it? The term could cover a multitude of sins – and the whistleblower could just as easily be labelled a “snitch” or “informer”. That’s especially true when the corporation (private whistleblowing) or government (public whistleblowing) is “corrupt” as is the case in the Third World in general and Guyana in particular.
Let’s take the case of what went down with the now infamous Albouystown bottom house warehouse. There has to’ve been dozens of employees in the Ministry of Health who knew what was going down. And it doesn’t matter they might NOT have been guided by some higher moral voice booming from on high. It could be that they just didn’t get a cut of that 0 million and wanted to fink out of spite.
What the legislation has to guarantee isn’t to just fire the miscreant now caught with their hand in the cookie jar…the challenge is to protect the whistleblower for all time. Once he/she is known – which is all too easy in our personalised record keeping – no other person will hire him.
Why? Because every official – especially the big ones – want a piece of the action!! Explaining why nothing’s gonna be done!
…in broadcasting
And right on cue on this need to find ways to get a grip on corruption and graft via spilling the beans… comes news that two members of the GNBA – including a former TV fella – have been accused of hustling some poor broadcaster slob over in Essequibo. Seems the Essequibo guy’s been squatting on a piece of the cable broadcasting spectrum and it’s alleged that Mr TV suggested he vacate the jurisdiction for some locale out in the boons.
Now you may say what’s wrong about this bit of fatherly advice to someone who’s breaking the law? Well, as usual, there’s more to the story. It’s alleged the cable market would’ve been offered to a big one on the Coast! And we can read between the (spectrum) lines, nuh? What makes it more suspicious is Mr TV’s peeved the Chair of GNBA blew the whistle. Mr TV wanted the ENTIRE board to agree.
Thing is, he’s a member of the board!! Uh! Uh!
…on nursing negligence
The nurses don’t move a mother about to deliver on the available chair but insists she walks. Baby plunks out, falls on the floor and fractures skull.
Mother’s now told “not to worry”…it’ll heal!! Really? What about brain damage? Blow the whistle!!
